At the time of the last blog post, Gran & Mr. John were here visiting (and helping to babysit since Nanny Andrea was on vacation!). We had an amazing week with them, and my cousin Alexia - visiting all the way from Pennsylvania. Brother didn't have camp, and I got to stay home with school to play with the gang. We went to our local nature museum, hit up several parks, had private art lessons, and visited the geyser in Calistoga. Also, we went to Morimoto - a tradition every time Gran comes to visit - and ate an entire bowl of edamame by myself!
Lollipops after a Mexican lunch with cousin Alexia
Father's day with our "bonus" kid!
Eating hotdogs roasted on our open firepit! Spirit gets the droppings...
Alexia and Declan learning some taxidermy!
Gran, me, Alexia & Declan
At Calistoga Geyser
Gran, me, Alexia & Declan on the Napa River
Yountville park
Gran, Mr. John, Dada, Mama and the three kiddos at Morimoto - kids plugged into ipads after eating lots of yummy dinner
After they headed back to Pennsylvania - Declan had his tonsils & adenoids removed by Mama's partner Lois. Hercules handled it so well that he declared himself "back to normal" the morning after surgery - and never looked back! We had a hard time keeping him quiet for the 2 required "low-activity" weeks!
He's all ready to head home!
Declan's post-tonsillectomy present - a "real" light saber!
We watched several movies during Declan's recovery - and this is how it generally played out - Mama holding me & Spirit!
Walk around the neighborhood with Gee as our alter-egos...oh and cloaks go on the FRONT of the body so everyone can see you coming...
Spirit spent lots of time sleeping with Declan after surgery, but he mostly enjoyed sleeping on Grandpa's jeans whenever he went to bed!
While Declan was recovering, Dada spent an afternoon to build twin ladders in the back yard to Declan & Ethan can easily visit each other! No more walking around the block!
Check out this brilliant invention! I took off the screen so I could put the hose INSIDE the house! I have grand plans...
Right after his tonsillectomy, big brother turned 8 years old on July 7th! I can't believe that he is so big - going into second grade in just a few weeks. He is reading so good now, and he is even reading me bedtime stories sometimes! He wants to be an archeologist/scientist/engineer when he grows up, so he was super duper excited to get a metal detector for his birthday. He is still learning to use it - but I plan to steal it whenever he leaves it hanging around.
One of my favorite things to do this month is to check out our front door wreath. A house sparrow made an actual real life nest right inside Mama's wreath! We watched as she laid 4 eggs, incubated them, and then they hatched. Just yesterday, the little teenager birdies fledged, and now they are hanging around in our bushes and on our roof! I kind of miss them a bit, but it was a super cool month!
can you see the nest? It was hilarious to watch the delivery people freak out when Mama bird flew at their heads!
Day before they flew away!
And if that wasn't all enough for the month, it was time for ALISAL! Dada's side of the family has been going every year since 1976, and so obviously I've been going for my whole life. It is an amazing dude ranch in Solvang, near Santa Barbara. It's also my mail opportunity to see my cousins every year, as they travel from Pennsylvania, Michigan, Iowa, and San Diego. I LOVE playing with my cousins, and they are so kind to play with me. It's an amazing place where I can be sort of independent - and am allowed to play outside without Mama & Dada constantly watching me (as long as my older cousins are around). My favorite part, aside from playing with my cousins, was riding horses and playing in the barnyard. But, I also loved pool time, our family water balloon fight, dancing at the hoe-down, the rodeo, and WINNING at bingo!
Dress up dinner #1
Feeding ostriches at Ostrichland!
Cousins at Ostrichland: Laura with Emery, Declan, Keevah, Harper, Logan, Alexia, Owen, & Davis
At the Rodeo!
watching barrel racing
Yee- haw!
Declan, me & Alexia participating in the gunney sack race
Beautiful dude ranch!
With some of our cousins! Me, Declan, Alexia (back), Emery (front), Logan (back), Owen (front)
horsey game at the rodeo
Declan's turn!
Cousins have cotton candy! (Declan, Alexia, Owen, me!)
Me feeding the bunnies & "piggy-pigs"
A different day! I have a way with those bunnies!
Declan feeding a piggy-pig
We collected eggs from the barnyard!
There was a wild animal exhibit - and Declan volunteered to help! A HAWK flew right through his arms!
Check out this cool alligator!
Pool time was amazing, but Exhausting! By mid-afternoon daily, I ASKED for a nap!
Hitching a ride from Dada
Pool time with brother
Mama, me & Declan cooling off!
Mama & me
Granddad, Owen, Me & Mama
Dada LAUNCHING Declan
Declan (in hat) playing his first ever round of musical chairs
Me with Boppy & Mama learning to line dance
Check this out! I WON a round of bingo! (and proceeded to eat the entire bar when Mama wasn't looking!)
bingo song with cousin Sophie
Waiting for the ride-around horse with cousins (me, Alexia, Logan, Davis, Owen, Declan, and Harper holding Emery)
Do you think I'm a natural born cowgirl?
Mama & Declan on the breakfast ride
Declan & Dada on their private ride to the lake
Me on my first ever riding lesson - I learned to turn the horse right & left and to make him go and stop!
Hercules on a horse!
Cousins on the wagon wheel bench! Declan, Davis, Owen, me, Alexia, Laura, Logan, & Harper holding Alexia
dress up dinner #2; Mama and Declan
Father-daughter time!
Dada & Declan
Me & Mama
Granddad & Boppy with all the grandkids!
All the girls: Auntie Kendall, Logan, Auntie Beth with Emery, Laura w/ Alexia, Boppy, Mama, me, Harper, Sophie & Auntie Chloe
All the boys: Uncle Hans, Uncle Kevin with Davis, Granddad, Uncle Steve with Owen, Uncle Chris, and Dada with Declan
Climbing fences - my life's mission
Declan looking awesome
Dancing with Boppy
Double trouble - with cousin Emery
Dancing with Mama & Declan at the hoe-down
Both Declan and I were super sad when it was time to leave our cousins and return home to Napa...but we had a good week at camp and school this week, and have more adventures planned! Stay tuned!
